Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me (sobs hysterically) ok anyway (wipes eyes)
Timeline: October, in Harry's seventh year.
Warnings: Snogging, and slash. Don't like it? Don't read it! This is Harry/Draco slash! (and a guy being a girl for a night- err, you'll see)
REPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST :-)
Thanks to Whit for being my "Masks" beta!
Behind the Masks
Part One: Harry's Mask
The Great Hall was alive with chatter and excited talk of the week ahead. October's scent was in the air while the leaves started to turn the beautiful autumn colors they turned to when winter was just around the corner. The last of the students were just sitting down for Dinner when Harry Potter and Ron Weasley came running into the large and magnificent room to grab their seats on each side of Hermione Granger who smirked at their lateness.
"Good evening, students." The Headmaster spoke standing behind the grand table that held all the Professors. "I'm glad to see everyone is well tonight. I have very pleasant news to which inform you of." Dumbledore said with his usual twinkling eyes. "The Head Girl and Head Boy have decided on a special school treat this year. With the wonderful success at the Hogsmeade Fair last year, Ms. Granger and Mr. Hues, our head students have decided on," He paused as everyone listened intently to the white bearded man. "A Halloween Ball!"
The room broke in excited chatter that sounded suspiciously like a bunch of excited girls.
"A Ball. Hermione? Really, like the Yule Ball wasn't bad enough, and there's no way I'm wearing those hideous robes again." Ron said with a bit red in his face as he glared at the grinning Head Girl.
"No, no, Ron. Mathew Hues and I have worked it all out with Professor McGonagall's help, just listen." Hermione quickly turned back towards Dumbledore who was beginning to talk again.
"On the night of All Hallows Eve every student, first year through seventh will be sent an owl with a silver token that will identify them when transfiguring. At 7:30pm you should all arrive down to the courtyard where you will pass through the enchanted doors leading out. Simply deposit your token into the golden goblet next to the door and walk through. With Ms. Granger's and Professor McGonagall's extensive knowledge of the subject they have been able to devise a way for all the students to remain anonymous."
There was more excited chatter. "Each student will be transfigured into a different appearance much like a Masquerade. The Head Girl and Boy have decided this is a most interesting way for all the houses to mingle…"
Did Dumbledore just say Mingle? Harry wondered.
"…without the prejudices of their houses. The spell will stop students from revealing themselves before the stroke of midnight when until then they will be able to transform back by pulling off their masks. No need to worry about costumes for as I've said it will all be included in the transfigurations. With all that being out, everyone enjoy your dinner, and for any questions or to help please sign up with Ms. Granger at Gryffindor with the Ball Planning Committee." Dumbledore raised his hands and the tables filled with food.
The Great Hall was filled with more chatter then usual, girls fumbling on about who they would go with.
"They just don't get it, they can't go with anyone. There are NO dates!" Hermione flushed a moment. "Oh, well even if they get dates the other person won't recognize them."
"But, you'll tell us what you look like, right?" Ron asked quickly as he grabbed two more chicken thighs for his plate.
"No, besides you won't be able to tell it's me." Hermione told him like he was an idiot which sometimes, though she hated to admit it, she thought he was, Merlin-love-him.
Ron looked hurt but Harry shrugged. "It could be kind of interesting." He cracked a grin at Ron. "At least maybe I'll be able to be someone else for the night. No lightning bolt or anything." He said as he tugged his hair down over his scar. Then he shrugged as he repeated "It could be interesting."
After dinner the students still talked excitedly as they exited the rooms. "I wonder if I'll still have red hair." Ron said a bit confused as his friends grinned at him.
"Anything would have to be an improvement, Weasel." A snobbish voice said behind them.
The trio turned frowning towards Draco Malfoy and his thugs Crabbe and Goyle.
"Shove off, Malfoy." Ron replied calmly with an apparent annoyance.
"Yeah and maybe you'll transfigure into a horses arse, oh wait that wouldn't be much of an improvement now would it?" Hermione said with a smirk while Ron and Harry looked at her rather impressed.
Harry looked at Draco as he stumbled for words. Draco always seemed like he was confused about what side he was on. For trying to be the "bad guy" he acted really baffled sometimes when people insulted him back. He was slightly humorous as he balled his fist.
"We'll see, Granger." Malfoy threatened
"Oh," She smiled and turned to walk away. "We will."
On October 31st, the night of the Masquerade, as they were told everyone received their token by way of school owls. Everyone looked at each others with interest but that soon died away since they looked the same.
"You really thought of all this, Mione?" Ron asked impressed at the little token in his hands.
"Well, I can't take all the credit but we had to have someway of identifying the students. Other wise some boy could end up a girl or something." She laughed giving Ron a wink, who nervously looked down at his coin.
"I won't turn into a girl though, will I?"
"Oh, no, don't worry unless you misplace your coin and oh I don't know grab mine or something." Hermione teased and Ron quickly put his token in his pocket so he wouldn't misplace it.
Harry grinned as Ron looked over at his best friend and smiled back. "Hey, at least my robes are going to be new for once." The two friends chuckled. "Maybe we should have a sign or something so we know who we are." Harry suggested.
"No way!" Hermione stopped them immediately. "You're not allowed to know, and Merlin help you if I find out you're going to have signs or something."
Harry and Ron exchanged grins.
Around 7:30 Harry, Ron and a bunch of other Gryffindor went down stairs holding their coins and nervously talking. "Hermione said our voices would stay the same but people won't be able to place them. Can you believe it? Like a memory charm, it's actually rather brilliant they've thought of everything."
"Will it disappear when we leave the Courtyard?" Ron asked Harry since Hermione had left them an hour earlier to do yet another inspection of the decoration, food and everything else.
"No, Mione said the transfiguration is on us not the room." Neville told them nervously walking beside them.
When they got down the long path that lead outside there was a circular area put there for the occasion that lead to the courtyard. The students looked at the veiled doors around the wall that people were walking through. Depending on which door you went into with your token you came out another veil in costume so no one knew who you were.
"I'll maybe see you guys inside?" Harry asked hopefully as they were directed by teachers and the student party committee to different doors.
His friends gave him hopeful looks as people started to disappear behind the curtains.
Harry clutched his token and then a student watching the door told him to toss it into the empty gold goblet.
"Oh, ok." Harry said before tossing the coin into the goblet, which disappeared and immediately the doorway changed a dark blue. Harry stared for a second then nervously stepped in.
The Courtyard looked incredibly beautiful. Fabric hung from the stone walls, cascading magnificently leaving the sky open above them, the colors matching the boys and girls outfits of purple, white, lavender, the usual Halloween colors of orange and black snuck in. The sky was bright with stars and an enchanted full moon that seemed a little to close to be real.
Beside the door upon entering there were two full length mirrors for someone to look at their new reflection.
Harry looked down at himself and blinked. He wore midnight black trousers, a decorated black silk top with full dress robes, gloves, and velvet maroon cape that glittered. He thought he felt taller and maybe a little more filled out then normal. His hair was platinum blonde and ran down to his center back like silk. Malfoy would have been envious of it. His eyes were dark behind the mask but crystal violet, his half-face maroon and black sparkling mask set in place.
Once everyone was in the courtyard, a man in a full knights costume looking around forty or so stepped forward, a young witch in lavender with a phantom mask on at his side. They must be teachers, Harry thought but couldn't put his finger on it.
"Greeting, students." The Headmaster called. "Happy Halloween. I hope you all find this to be enlightening and enjoyable, have a wonderful time." Dumbledore smiled behind the knight's mask and took Minerva by the arm and lead her to the long table along the wall.
Harry tried hard to find someone that might resemble anyone from Gryffindor but the magic must have been rather good because it was no use. He gave up and decided to just go get some pumpkin juice from the ice sculptured tables of velvet purple.
He was at the perfect spot when a nervous girl slipped out from behind the sculpture and made a straight bee line for the door. Harry smacked into her as he turned to see what the movement behind him was.
"OH!" Harry cried out pulling back. "Excuse me."
"No, no excuse me." The girl murmured quickly as though not to bring attention to herself , but she might as well have shouted because already people had turned and were looking at them or her more like it.
Harry became tongue-tired and stupid for a moment. Her body was long, lean and graceful in the fair crystal blue light masquerade gown that trailed around her as if floating. Her mask matched the translucent white cape with blue glitter in star and moon shapes on her temples and forehead. Her softly powdered pink lips were slightly apart and nervously puckering into each other. The girl's hair was pure white like a fairy queen with draped blue crystal down the back of her head.
"Hi." Harry managed. "I…you look…" He gave a nervous laugh. "You must really look different because I swear I've never seen anyone that looks like you."
The girl seemed to be flustered and horrified immediately. "Do I look SO awful?"
"NO!" Harry half dropped his juice and quickly set it down on the table. "You're… so amazing…I mean beautiful." The girl flustered and played with her hands. "I know I would have noticed someone so beautiful at Hogwarts before."
"Oh," She said softly and looked around at the people watching them. "I suppose that's alright then…thank you." She finished and looked him up and down as he gave her his best grin and she had to say though uncomfortably. "You're rather, good looking…yourself.
"Thanks." Harry laughed and looked out at the floor. He couldn't think of what to say or do so he did the only thing he could think of. "Would you like to dance?"
"Do you dance?" the girl asked which seemed to Harry out of surprise
"I hold my own." He said as he offered her his arm and she hesitantly took it.
"What house are you in?" She asked as they started the formal waltz the floor had been enchanted to move.
"I thought that was supposed to be a secret." Harry grinned back as she frowned.
The girl shifted awkwardly for a moment and Harry tried to think of something to say.
"You can call me…" He looked around and saw a Greek god statue and grinned. "…Ares."
A grin slipped on her lips. "Ares, huh? Cause many wars?"
"You have NO idea." Harry chuckled. "And what may I call you… my' lady?"
She looked at him and seemed to have liked the little game they were playing so she went through the Greek myth file in her head and pulled out. "Calliope?"
He laughed. "A muse are you?"
Calliope found herself smiling at this. "Are you a great hero that needs inspiration?"
He twirled her slowly so she was pressed against him when she came twirling in. "I need but look upon my muse for inspiration to fight my battle." And turned her out again.
The night was the most wonderful night of Harry's life and he was sure he was going to continue seeing "Calli". He didn't see or really talk to anyone else but he found out that McGonagall was the beautiful witch standing next to the Headmaster earlier when she started to scold a pair of teens kissing under the entrance way. He also had no problem in realizing which brooding, annoyed and dressed in bright green figure was Snape.
Around Eleven Harry took her for a walk in the gardens out side the walls. "I had a great time, Calli."
She flushed. "Yes, despite myself so did I."
"Despite yourself?" Harry teased pulling her closer to keep out the cold.
"I didn't think I'd enjoy tonight and…I didn't like my costume." She said timidly.
"Well, I DO." Harry flushed and sat her down and kissed her palms feeling very liberated behind his hidden mask. He didn't want to scare Calli away but he knew she liked the attention from him so gave it all to her.
She was giggling and flushing like a…well, school girl.
"Are you usually this romantic?"
Harry burst out laughing.
She looked at him and whispered. "I've never felt this comfortable before, Ares."
Slightly curious and nervous she leaned over and teased his mouth. They both whimpered as feelings went rushing to their finger tips and they kissed deeper. Harry felt her face and moved in deeper making it his most passionate kiss and most feeling by far as even his toes went a bit numb.
Harry was in shock. He didn't think any girl had ever turned him on as much as this one. And it wasn't just her body and looks, but what she made him feel.
He blushed but made a slight hum of contentment as he held her in his arms. It was an unusually comfortable silence that followed with her head on his shoulder.
"I'd…I'd like to see you again Calli, if you would, honor me, uh, give me the honor." Harry said nervously. "I like how I feel with you're next to me."
"You don't…you don't even know what I really look like, or who I am, who my family is." She stuttered confused.
"I know who you are, Merlin, I don't know how but I do. What you look like doesn't matter because I can see that behind your eyes. And what does it matter about your family I don't want to date them."
"I…" She looked away distressed. "I have a very uptight family. My parents would kill me if they knew I was doing anything but studying."
"Oh." Harry said. "Well that's okay we can just see each other on Hogsmeade weekends they don't have to know we're serious."
"Serious?" She choked.
"I…I only meant, that you know we'd be "seeing" each other, they wouldn't have to know that." Harry tried to correct himself.
Calli was silent and looked back at him. "Can we talk about this later? I just want to be with you right now."
"Of course." He said delighted there would be a later. "Come on, let me show you something. It's something special my friends and I found in our 5th year."
She let him lead her into the castle and up the stairs into the 3rd floor corridor they walked down the hall once and then he turned and started to walk back.
"Are you lost?" She asked with a laugh.
"No, it only appears at certain times." Harry told her stalking down the corridor for the 3rd time until she said. "Ares, I don't think anything is here…" But her voice drifted as suddenly she noticed a large deeply rich oak door on the wall. She double blinked.
"Ah, there it is." And opened the door and pulled her in.
The Room of Requirements had read Harry's mind perfectly and turned into a richly colored room with couches, flowers, books, candles and a bottle of chilled pumpkin wine with two flute glasses.
As the door shut she got out. "And how many girls have you brought here!"
He laughed. "None, it's called the Room of Requirements, if you need somewhere to study it turns into a library, if you need to take a nap it turns into a bedchamber, if you need to be alone it turns into a meditation place. Whatever you need it turns itself into it."
"Then this is the room I heard Dumbledore explain with all the chamber pots." She laughed.
Harry laughed as well. "Yes, it is."
"Oh, for a moment I thought you were one of those Slytherin blokes who you know…that um, you know…" Blushing she walked away and studied a flame she played with snuffing it out with her fingers then rekindling with a magic touch.
"Oh, not at all." Harry assured her.
"Then you're not in Slytherin?"
"No." Harry softly smiled as her shoulders seemed to relax.
"Oh, good." Turning she looked at him. "Not that I thought you were, it's just all those blokes seem to use girls and I didn't want…I didn't want this night to be…to be that."
"I'd never use you, Calli." He whispered and took her to sit down on an over large couch and gently kiss her fingers that made her hum happily. "I only brought you here so we could honestly get to know each other better. I've…I've never really been in a relationship, I've had a lot of hard times in my life and I have never wanted anyone to be sucked into that trap."
"What…what if they wanted to help you? Be a part so you wouldn't feel so bad?" She nervously looked at her hands.
"Oh, Calli, I just knew you would" He kissed her neck and it sent a chill down both of them. " I can just tell."
Calli's face burned in a flush as she looked away her body felt all warm and protected next to his and it made her feel things she'd never felt before.
"I've always been afraid of a lot of things, Ares. Of life, my life, and my family, about the war coming." Harry flinched at this but she didn't notice. "I've never really felt secure and I guess what I'm saying is, I do right now. Does that make sense?"
"I could take on the whole world if you're with me." He whispered.
"Yes, yes that's it." Calli murmured and couldn't help but start to kiss him and couldn't stop.
Half an hour later the two flustered and sexually aggravated teenagers pulled away blushing with swollen but pleased lips. "It's late." He whispered. "I should walk you back to your house." He stroked her white hair as it tumbled over her shoulders.
"No, not yet, Ares."
At this Harry checked he watch. "It's almost one."
"So." She whispered and obviously didn't get it.
"It's after midnight we can take off our masks." He told her and she looked away scared. "I…I'll go first. It's okay, we won't be awkward or anything after, I mean we really like each other, right?" She nodded to this.
"Trust me." He whispered and she started to kiss him again, getting scared.
Harry kissed her nervously one more time and reached for his mask and pushed it back. He felt the tingle over his body and then he felt the weight of not having long hair anymore as he rubbed his messy hair and looked down at her, her eyes were slammed shut. He leaned down and kissed her relieved the mask was off. It was like a barrier had been crossed. He deepened the kiss, emotions exploding through both of them.
He pulled back and she whimpered, no. "Calli open your eyes."
Her gentle eyes opened and focused on the intense green eyes. Her beloved had green eyes oh, they were beautiful, but familiar and then it registered and it hit HARD.
Harry's face turned concerned as the girl beneath him stopped breathing.
Then she seemed not to be able to stop as her chest rose up and down with the effort, looking around with just registering eyes and then. "POTTTTTTER?" It was a shriek and Harry rubbed his ears and frowned. "Yes."
He was forcefully shoved off and she jumped to her feet looking down at him with a hand over her mouth and got out in a shrill voice. "POTTTTTER!"
"YES." He insisted like she just didn't get it.
She murmured several curses as she held her face. "Not good, this is NOT good."
"WAIT!" Harry jumped up. "I'm the same person I was a few minutes ago."
"YOU'RE….you're….HARRY POTTER."
"I KNOOOOOOOOW." He cried out.
"You're the bloody boy-who-lived!" she shouted as if he needed reminding
"I'm slightly aware of that." Harry frowned deeper.
Then she froze and looked at him. "I…I…" And he then noticed she was backing towards the door her hands behind her to reach for the knob.
"NO…Nononono." Harry chanted and ran after her.
"I'm…I'm sorry!" Calli shouted as she ran towards the stairs at the end of the corridor and no matter how fast Harry was she'd vanished from sight.
I know it's tempting if you've read this before not to review but I lost all my reviews! Make me SO SO SO SO SO happy and I'll make sure to have the next chapter up in ONE WEEK! PROMISE!
XOXO,
Keyvie